Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 92 i Soccer 360 Magazine

When you think of a thrilling and passionate spectator sport, chess isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. No disrespect to Garry Kasparov and co but it’s in a whole other world to Borussia Dortmund’s Yellow Wall or a sold-out San Siro. If you’re a football fan though you better get used to thinking like a chess player as UEFA gets set to launch the new and not necessarily improved Champions League. From 2024 onward we’ll see the tournament expanded to 36 teams with a fairly mind-boggling new format. The traditional group stage will be thrown out and replaced with a league format based on a so-called ‘Swiss system’ used in chess. The model is used for tournaments in which there are too many entrants to realistically all play…

Winning the Premier League title is certainly not on the cards for West Ham. But finishing in the top four and qualifying for next season’s Champions League – likely at the expense of big clubs like Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool, Everton and Arsenal – would rank almost as highly as Leicester City’s stunning title triumph of 2016. Fourth after 30 games and daring to dream, David Moyes has deftly navigated this strangest of seasons in his second stint at West Ham. His first full campaign of this second spell will surely earn the Scot a renewal on his initial 18-month contract, with the Hammers surprising everyone through their continued charge for European football. Even qualifying for the Europa League would represent a major accomplishment for West Ham, who’ve probably benefited more…

THEY CAME TO BLOWS ON THE PITCH BUT ROMELU LUKAKU AND ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC HAVE LED THEIR TEAMS FROM THE FRONT THE RESURRECTION – MILAN It has been 10 long years since the once star-studded Milan side ended a season at the top of the Serie A rankings. The Rossoneri, like everyone else on the peninsula, have been playing second fiddle to Juventus and their nine-year dominance of Italian football. But during the 2010-2011 season, Max Allegri led the club, then under the ownership of Silvio Berlusconi, to their 18th title, relying heavily on experience with 15 members of his squad in their 30s. That title-winning season would prove to be a final swansong for club legends and World Cup winners including Alessandro Nesta, Gennaro Gattuso, Gianluca Zambrotta, and Filippo Inzaghi.…

"LIFE IN TORONTO WAS AMAZING" QUESTION: TORONTO WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR YOU. HOW WAS YOUR DAILY LIFE IN CANADA? Answer: The life was amazing. I enjoyed it there very much. I also enjoyed the football. There were a lot of good players during the period I was there. It was a good experience for me to play there and try also to win something. It was a great experience. Q: WHAT ABOUT THE FOOTBALL IN TORONTO? YOU WERE USED TO ITALY, WHERE THE SPORT IS NO 1. HOW WAS IT BEING IN A CITY AND A COUNTRY WITH A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO THE SPORT? A: Yes, it isn’t the first sport, in North America there are more famous sports, but it was nice because Toronto fans love the sport…

DATES: June 13-July 10 HOST COUNTRIES: Argentina and Colombia ARGENTINA HOST CITIES: Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Mendoza, and Santiago del Estero COLOMBIA HOST CITIES: Barranquilla, Bogota, Cali, and Medellin TOURNAMENT RULES: Ten participating teams have been split into two groups. Each team will play four matches (one game against every team in their group). The top four teams in each group advance to the Knockout Stage. COPA AMERICA FINAL: July 10th at the Estadio Monumental in Barranquilla MASCOT: The mascot of this edition of the CONMEBOL Copa América is a conjunction of all the dogs that live in South America: a new South American breed. His name is Pibe, and he was chosen in a vote on social networks by Copa America fans.…

After missing out of a place in the 2016 edition of the UEFA European Championship, Holland are back in the big time for this summer’s edition of the European Championship. The Netherlands have reorganized themselves since after they missed out on the showpiece in France and will be looking to reassert themselves as a major force in Europe this summer. Their footballing history is among the very best in Europe, and despite their recent form and off the field issues, they remain a force to be reckoned with. They may no longer boast the flair and solidity of the team that won the 1988 edition that had the likes of Ronald Koeman, Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Ruud Gullit, but they still have a lot of exciting layers in…

After an impressive World Cup campaign in 2018 that ended in a disappointing loss to France at the finals, Croatia have been presented with an opportunity to show the world what they stand for as a footballing nation. The Blazers come into this year’s showpiece looking to consolidate on their last performance at a major tournament—the tournament being the aforementioned World Cup in Russia just over two years back. This time, they will be looking to make their mark in Europe by joining the other 23 teams to compete for the 2020 European Championship. They sit in 14th place in FIFA standings but have dropped three places over the last 18 months or so to show that their form has dallied down since that run to the final in Russia.…

After years of hurt, Scotland qualified for the 2020 Euros via playoffs, winning Israel in their playoff match. ‘The Tartan Army’ have been away from any form of International football since 1996 but now have the opportunity to right the wrongs this summer as the European championship travels through Europe, including to Glasgow. They enter this year’s tournament in 46th place in FIFA world rankings. Although their placement in FIFA suggests that they are very low in quality compared to their mates. However, they do have a decent squad with a couple of exciting talent that can take on a big team on their day. PLAYER TO WATCH Scotland have within their ranks arguably the best two left-backs in the British Isles in Andy Robertson and Kieran Tierney. Both of…

La Roja are in a good shape and form at the moment and are entering this competition with a solid team forged with a mix of youth and experience. Players like Sergio Busquets, Sergio Ramos and Jordan Alba bring in the winning mentality that characterized the Spanish team of the late 2000s and early 2010s. This current team may not boast the elegance of the 2010 World Cup-winning team, but they have proven to a hard side to beat, having lost just once in the last eleven competitive matches; which included a 6-0 drubbing Germany. PLAYER TO WATCH Despite a flurry of star names and exciting talent, Sergio Ramos remains Spain’s best and most valued player. The Spanish captain is the record appearance maker for La Roja and offers leadership,…

Despite their recent struggles, Germany remains a footballing powerhouse and a team that no one will really want to face. Although they sit in 12th place in FIFA standings—their worst rating in six years—they are still within the top ten in countries of UEFA. However, as a nation with a rich footballing history, having won four World Cups (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014) and a host of other international titles, they are in the 2020 Euros to win it. Although their form remains patchy, particularly due to the coaching situation they’re presently faced with, no one can rule them out of challenging this time around. Die Mannschaft began their 2020 European Championship campaign with a 3-2 win over the Netherlands which was followed by two wins against Belarus and Estonia that…

“When we announced Miami, there was always going to be talk about what players we were going to bring in, whether it was Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar. There was always going to be those discussions. I actually don’t think it’s a tough one for players to decide, to be honest, because it’s a great place… Miami is a city that has that pull on players who have been playing in Europe that are big stars.” - David Beckham says that Inter Miami are very much interested in signing global stars and that it won’t probably be a tough sell given the allure Miami has. “Just as we train in the gym or on the pitch to improve our technique and out tactical abilities, I believe the mind is something you also…

NO STOPPING LINGARD Twitter - https://twitter.com/WestHam/status/1376515375341375492 Jesse Lingard’s re-emergence at West Ham has been the talk of the Premier League with the winger showing no signs of slowing down. His current loan club West Ham hammered home his achievements, surely making Manchester United take note. Rumour has it he will either get a second chance at Old Trafford – or be sold for a big price. APRIL FOOL’S DAY BACKFIRES Twitter - https://twitter.com/KeralaBlasters/status/ Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters thought it would be hilarious to reveal a joke home kit on their Twitter page. However, the prank backfired with the shirt receiving wide praise from fans. If they were to produce the shirt, it’d be a sure-fire collectors’ item… GERRARD CELEBRATIONS Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/210468495638580/videos/2981268348822387 Steven Gerrard guided Rangers to the…

‘THE CRISTIANO RONALDO SHOW TOOK MORE TIME THAN EXPECTED TO GET GOING IN TURIN’ The summer of 2018 was an exciting time for Juventus. An ambitious rebranding project, a six-part documentary on Netflix and an unprecedented fourth consecutive domestic double ensured the season was an unqualified success. However, one dark cloud remained for the Bianconeri: their failure to win the Champions League. The previous season, the Old Lady had looked sharp in Europe’s premier club competition, losing just once in the group stage before overcoming an impressive Tottenham side in the round of 16. Unfortunately for the Juventus, the quarter-final draw saw them face a Real Madrid team that had won the previous two Champions Leagues. Massimiliano Allegri lost 4-3 on aggregate with a certain Cristiano Ronaldo putting on a…

Will there ever be a more incredible title triumph than Leicester City’s 2015-16 Premier League crown? An afterthought to win the league with odds of 5,000/1 across a host of major British bookmakers, Leicester became only the sixth different club to become champions in the Premier League era, after Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. Given their status and budget compared to a host of other clubs in the English top flight, there never seemed to be any chance that Claudio Ranieri could pull off the impossible. Especially when you consider the fact that Leicester had only been back in the Premier League for one season, and finished 14th in 2014-15. The Foxes ended that campaign 46 points behind champions Chelsea. The following year, Leicester gathered 31…

"THE FORM OF RB LEIPZIG WOLFSBURG HAS BEEN A WELCOME SURPRISE." THE GOOD The 2020-21 Bundesliga season has had a more competitive race than usual at the top, even as Bayern Munich stepped up a gear in 2021 and powered through the rest of the pack. Behind the Bavarians though it has been a real slugfest for the Champions League, as Borussia Dortmund’s form failed. RB Leipzig, pretenders to Bayern’s crown, were always going to at least take a Champions League spot and the form of Wolfsburg has been a welcome surprise. Oliver Glasner’s side got their act together in 2021, losing their first game of the year – against Dortmund, ironically – but then not losing again until the beginning of March. That defeat to Dortmund was the turning…

If you ask any soccer supporter what words come to mind when they think of the start of soccer campaign one of the first words you will always here is new. New coach, new philosophy, new opportunities, new stadium, new kits, and of course stars. This year, the National Women’s Soccer League is teeming with young, exciting talent. Although many of these players may not make the final rosters for Canada and the United States the future is still very, very bright. So who are ten best to keep an eye on? Our Sean Maslin has the full breakdown. 10.) DEF BIANCA ST. GEORGES (23, CHICAGO RED STARS/CAN) St. Georges had a solid 2020 in the Challenge Cup and Fall Series with the Red Stars, earning a start spot along…

ITALY Roberto Mancini has fostered a winning mentality with his Italy side on a fantastic run of 26 games unbeaten and seven consecutive clean sheets in that time. Remarkably, they are unbeaten in over 18 months with September 10, 2018 the last time the Azzuri tasted defeated – a 1-0 reverse against Portugal. Their notorious back line remains strong with the Juventus stalwarts of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. In a tournament with a short format, solidity is key. PORTUGAL The current holders of the trophy are going under the radar somewhat. However, Portugal have a lot of talented players to choose from and more importantly, they’re in form. They can call upon Bruno Fernandes, João Félix, Diego Jota and Bernardo Silva, as well as the man for the big…

After years of hurt and below-par performance in the European Championship, Switzerland made it back-to-back Euro appearance when they qualified for the 2020 European Championship. The Red Crosses have never been known as a footballing giant. Their inability to command the same respect as countries like Croatia, Czech Republic and even Belgium, has been down to their inconsistencies in the past. But having made it to their second Euro in eight years, Switzerland will be looking to build on their most recent European showing when they made it to the round of 16 in 2016. They began their journey to the finals by picking up wins over Georgia and Gibraltar. These wins were sandwiched between two draws with Northern Ireland and Denmark as they rode on those early results to…

The world number one ranked team, Belgium, have another opportunity to etch their names on the European Championship cup after missing out on previous opportunities. The Red Devils have been placed as one of the favourites for this trophy and are coming into this tournament with an impressive win record since after their 2018 World Cup disappointment. With a crop of attacking talent, this current Belgium set up is looking to do what the ‘Golden Generation’ led by legendary Belgium boss Guy Thys could not achieve. This team though, unlike the one assembled by Thys, looks likely to go the distance as they don’t just boast plenty stars, but they also seem to have the hunger to keep pushing themselves on even when they have reached a certain ceiling. Led…

When North Macedonia beat Germany recently in the World Cup qualifiers, many stood up to notice that they meant business. Before that win, not everyone knew that they played football or even existed. But beating Germany means that their stock rose and people started taking note. Despite their sketchy history, North Macedonia deserve to be spoken of. Their footballing story might not be as heavy as Germany or Spain, but they have made their contributions to the entire footballing picture. Their qualification for the 2020 European Championship took them some extra effort, but in the end, they achieved it ahead of more established sides like Norway and Greece. They are heading into the Euros as the lowest-rated side in the tournament. PLAYER TO WATCH Despite being in his late thirties,…

Czech Republic are once again the Euros, this time qualifying without much drama ahead of Kosovo, Bulgaria and Montenegro. In doing so, they have now qualified for all the European Championship tournaments played since they became an independent nation. Their football history is intertwined with that of Slovakia as both countries were together and known as Czechoslovakia by FIFA until 1994. The country has enjoyed some good footballing moments and is entering this year’s tournament as one of the better performers in its history. After finishing second in their qualifying group, Czech Republic were drawn with Croatia, England and Scotland in their group. Despite the threat of England and Croatia, a country with the footballing history of Czech Republic certainly has nothing to fear. PLAYER TO WATCH West Ham United’s…

Hungary has a respectable football history, having won three Olympic titles, finishing runners-up in the 1938 and 1954 World Cups, and third in the 1964 UEFA European Championship. Hungary revolutionized the sport in the 1950s, laying the tactical fundamentals of “Total Football”. They dominated international football with the remarkable Golden Team, which included legend Ferenc Puskás—top goal scorer of the 20th century, to whom FIFA dedicated its newest award, the Puskás Award. The side of that era has one of the longest undefeated runs in football history, remaining unbeaten in 31 games, spanning over four years including the much-heralded ‘Match of the Century.’ Despite these achievements, the Hungarian team faced a severe drought starting from their elimination at the 1986 World Cup, failing to qualify for a major tournament for…

The old phrase used to be ‘a week is a long time in politics.’ It can feel like an eternity in football, especially if there are three games in that brief period, spanning two different competitions. We regularly hear it’s a crucial week for this coach or that player, their futures hanging by a thread depending on the results in the next seven days. What really irritates me, though, is seeing how short some people’s memories are and the absolute lack of gratitude once that initial burst of success has worn off. Stefano Pioli took Milan from battling to scrape into the Europa League every year to Scudetto contenders and Winter Champions, yet the moment results begin to falter because he has a limited squad at his disposal, some of…

After taking over as club president in 2010 it took Andrea Agnelli’s Juventus just two seasons to win the Scudetto. However, the club was not the financial powerhouse that it is now, and instead relied on the shrewd market dealings of their new director of sport Giuseppe Marotta. Under his guidance the Old Lady became known for bringing in world class players for remarkable value, allowing them to build a Serie A dominating team whilst balancing the books. The most famous of these is arguably Juventus’ current coach, Andrea Pirlo, who was snapped up on a free transfer when Milan decided against renewing the 31-year-old midfielder’s contract. With a point to prove the World Cup winner had arguably the best spell of his career during four years in a Juventus…

"WILL A POSSIBLE TITLE WIN BE ENOUGH TO CONVINCE LIONEL MESSI TO STAY? " THE GOOD What had looked like an Atletico Madrid procession to the title turned into a genuine race after Los Rojiblancos hit an untimely patch of bad form in the spring. To their credit too, Real Madrid and Barcelona found some excellent domestic consistency to be in a position to capitalize and close the gap. Diego Simeone’s side led the way in the Primera Division for the majority of the season after rediscovering their old fighting spirit but the Clasico pair dug deep to test Atleti’s nerve in the final weeks of the campaign. It’s Real Madrid’s experience that kept them in the running despite an underwhelming start to the 2020-21 season, with veteran stars Sergio…

DID YOU KNOW? UEFA EURO 2020 is being held across the continent for the first time in the competition's 60-year history, with 12 host cities in all. Euro 2020's mascot is Skillzy, a larger-than-life character inspired by freestyling, street and panna culture. GROUP A ITALY SWITZERLAND WALES TURKEY GROUP B BELGIUM DENMARK FINLAND RUSSIA GROUP C AUSTRIA NETHERLANDS NORTH MACEDONIA UKRAINE GROUP D CROATIA CZECH REPUBLIC ENGLAND SCOTLAND GROUP E POLAND SLOVAKIA SPAIN SWEDEN GROUP F FRANCE GERMANY HUNGARY PORTUGAL ABOUT EURO 2020 JUNE 11TH - JULY 11TH 2021 TEAMS 24 VENUES 12 MATCHES 51 AVERAGE CAPACITY 60,583 LARGEST VENUE LONDON SMALLEST VENUE COPENHAGEN OPENING MATCH.................................................Stadio Olympico, Rome FINAL EURO 2020...............................................Wembley Stadium, London EURO HISTORY MOST CHAMPIONSHIPS WON: GERMANY & SPAIN, TIED MOST APPEARENCES: GERMANY AND THEN RUSSIA MOST MEETINGS…

CROATIA Croatia are not at the level they were three years ago, when they went to the final at World Cup 2018. And yet, Croatia still have enough quality to cause a stir. The elegant veteran midfielder Luka Modrič remains the standout, the go-to guy to raise his nation’s fortunes. SWEDEN Any team with Zlatan Ibrahimovič is a dangerous one. The evergreen 39-year-old recently came out of international retirement after a five-year absence to represent his country. His strike partner is Alexander Isak who is performing well in La Liga with Real Sociedad. The Swedes have every chance to progress from a group including Spain, Poland and Slovakia. DENMARK In the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Denmark have won impressively away in Austria, 4-0, 8-0 against Moldova and have taken victory…

Wales arrive at their second ever European Championship as the 18th placed team in FIFA rankings—12th in UEFA rankings. Following their success in their debut appearance in 2016, The Dragons are looking to go one step further, and perhaps reach the final this year. A trickery coaching situation means that they enter the competition without exact knowledge of who will be the head coach at the rescheduled Euros. Wales qualified for this summer’s showpiece after finishing second in a group that had Croatia, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan. Their qualification was sealed with a two-nil win on the last round of group qualifier matches as they ended the group with 14 points—one point ahead of Slovakia, who finished third. PLAYER TO WATCH Gareth Bale remains arguably the greatest player to have…

For a country ranked 10th in world FIFA rankings, and 7th in UEFA FIFA rankings, Denmark is relatively silent on the footballing space. Although they head into this year’s Euros with much higher ratings than more established names like Holland and Germany, many people do not rate them as a truly footballing nation. One would be forgiven for thinking of them that way though as little is truly known about them unless one cares to do some digging. Despite their little involvement on the world stage, Denmark is a footballing country. They have won three Olympic silver medals at the 1908, 1912 and 1960 Olympics. Although their best record at the FIFA World Cup is a narrow quarter-final loss to Brazil in the 1998 World Cup. PLAYER TO WATCH Inter…

23rd placed Austria are back in the European Championship for the second time in a row—perhaps it is time to start taking them seriously. It is not every time that a country of that size and history pulls off such feats, but Austria have done cementing the fact that their improvement over the past two decades has paid off. They head into this tournament as the 15th best team in Europe according to FIFA rankings and will be looking to establish that fact when the summer event comes around. PLAYER TO WATCH David Alaba’s importance to the Austrian team cannot be over-emphasised. He remains the standout player of this team and will be instrumental to their performance at the Euros. His ability to play almost anywhere across the pitch will…

After a disappointing Euro 2016 campaign where they lost all three matches without registering a single goal in the competition, Ukraine are back in the 2020 edition of the Euros hoping to set the records straight this time. They head into the tournament sitting in 24th place on World FIFA standings and with a better chance of making it past the group stages having been drawn with Austria, Netherlands and North Macedonia. PLAYER TO WATCH Manchester City’s Oleksandr Zinchenko remains one of Ukraine’s most exciting players at the moment. The 24-year-old’s versatility makes him a special talent as he can play in the defence, as a midfielder or even further forward as a winger. However, his form and involvement in Manchester City’s setup has reduced greatly this season, making it…

After a disappointing 2018 World Cup in Russia, England have the opportunity to bring football back to the UK; this time in the UEFA Euro 2020. The Three Lions through history have had the very best of players in their ranks, but have experienced one disappointment on top of another. However, the feeling is different this time as the entire nation of England sees this team as a different breed from the ones that have disappointed in past years. They have since regrouped after their 2018 World Cup and the recent UEFA Nations League failures and are looking like a team able to put their past woes behind them. PLAYER TO WATCH A flurry of big-name players means it is difficult to pick one star player from this current Three…

When considering footballing powerhouses in Europe, Slovakia is one of the least on the list. Currently ranked 34th place in World FIFA rankings—19th place for UEFA nations—they are heading into this tournament as the worst-ranked team in their group. Despite their limited footballing powers, The Falcons made it to the Euros ahead of a higher-ranked team like Serbia. The most notable achievement to date in their football history was a 3-2 win over the then World Cup titleholders Italy at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. That appearance in South Africa remains their only World Cup appearance to date. PLAYER TO WATCH Despite Marek Hamsik’s importance to the team, Milan Skrinair is the player to watch out for in this Slovakian setup. The defender has been pretty impressive at the back…

Current World Cup defending champions and footballing giant France are one of such countries that need little or no introduction to anyone who has been following football for a while now. Les Bleus are currently only behind Belgium in the FIFA standings and are enjoying one of their best eras in football after the late 1990s. Since winning the European Championship in 2000, France came close to adding a third Euro title in 2016, but Portugal eventually pipped them. Now, with all the hard work of the last two decades or so paying off as France won the World Cup. They have also assembled a team that is full of star names and are entering the 2020 Euros as one team anyone would dead facing. PLAYER TO WATCH With a…

When looking for one of the favourites for this years’ UEFA Euros, one will often consider teams with the best players and most successful recent history—Portugal falls under this category. The 2016 European Championship winners are one of Europe’s biggest teams at the moment. They enter the 2020 Euros 5th in overall FIFA standings and 4th in UEFA nations ahead of bigger names like Italy, Germany and Spain. Their recent Euro and UEFA Nations Cup wins make them the leaders of Europe at the moment. Portugal’s first participation in a major tournament final was at the 1966 World Cup. That appearance saw a team featuring Ballon d’Or winner Eusébio finish in third place. That remains to this day Portugal’s best performance at the world level in any major tournament. Other…

DON’T MESS WITH BOSS Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/RealSociedadFutbol/videos/279297340323597 La Liga side Real Sociedad’s 34-year wait for a major trophy ended when they defeated Athletic Bilbao in the Copa Del Rey final. Coach Imanol Alguacil showed he was made of scary stuff in his impassioned post-match interview. FAREWELL TO PETER Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LeedsUnited/photos/a.158277964323723/1934422896709212/?type=3&p=60 Peter Lorimer played 600+ times for Leeds scoring 200+ goals. The player for Toronto Blizzard and Vancouver Whitecaps passed away in March 2021 aged 74 - Leeds paid their tributes. HOME HAIRCUT Twitter – https://twitter.com/BeWarmers/status/1378641106158620678 Premier League referee Stuart Attwell clearly had not broken lockdown rules with a home haircut that had social media in stitches! SHOCKER Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SportingLifeOfficial/posts/10159324553267812 SportingLifeOfficial/posts/10159324553267812 65th ranked North Macedonia were supposed to offer little resistance to World Cup winners Germany. But instead, created…